


Each Everlasting Breath

by palestream



Category: Original Work
Genre: Arena, Gore, Other, Punishment, Slavery, fight, gladiator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 03:33:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11477760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palestream/pseuds/palestream
Summary: When a young girl, different from a human, is taken into captivity of a free for all arena, she finds herself struggling for survival as a gladiator, and struggling between fighting to live an unfair life or surrendering to death and the unknown.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first big work that I plan on finishing. I hope you enjoy.

     _You know that feeling, when you're so tired you can't even see straight. Everything is just fuzzy, and you feel like a single finger weighs a ton. You want to sleep but your mind urges you to move. To get up. To face the horrors that await you. To this day she regretted listening to that urge._

 

Two men stood in a room made of complete stone. A long corridor with an odd ceiling made of an odd dull metal. The corridor they were in was one of many aisles in the long stretching room, like that at a market. But instead of shelves of food and products...they were heavy stone walls with thick barred cells stretching only 8 feet across, and 6 feet back. These cells held a different kind of property. Pitiful creatures of many species paced behind the bars. The sound of paws, hooves, feet, and everything in between, pacing in cells. They were all quiet. As if they were listening to to conversation the two men were having in front of one cell in the very back of the dimly lit room. 

   "Where did they find it?" The taller one, a man, maybe in his twenties with an expensive top hat and suit to match asks. The second one chuckles and removes the cigarette from his lips, blowing smoke into the air.

   "The men said they caught her at an abandoned realm that was literally falling apart. They don't know how she got there, but apparently she wasn't alone. She had a compainion, but the poor girl was too sick to come. A lot of wheezing, probably had some mental deformity as well, she acted afraid. So they put her out of her misery."

    The top hat man smiled slightly. "....that is a true pity. I wish they had brought that one along. I could have used her as bait. This one will have to do I guess. _It_ will most likely end up as bait anyways. It looks weak and thin. Tomorrow I'll get the men to bring it up to the arena and we'll use its blood to get the lions cravings up. Whatever is left can be their dinner." 

     As the top hat man turned to leave, the man with the cigar grabbed his arm. "Hold on a minute Derek. I want it." The way the cigar man said this was firm and convincing. Derek narrowed his eyes slightly. 

    "Explain."

    "If I can pull this off, this arena will be filthy rich. Money out of our minds. Everyone loves an underdog story. Think of it. The orphan girl we...rescued....rising up as a true gladiator. They'll pay to see her fights in anticipation for her last. No one will want to miss her downfall."

     Derek stared at the man in silence for some time. 

    "I see your idea. You have an interesting mind. A foolish one if you think you can turn a pitiful thing like that into a gladiator. But I will give you a chance. If it dies, it dies. If it becomes well known, I'll have to take your advice more seriously. But... I want to see you trying. I want to see every ounce of your being going into shaping this kid into a formidable weapon. A mind trained only to kill. I don't want pity, and I don't want hesitation. It has no feelings. It is not alive. It is definitely not human. So do what it takes. Understand, Deen?"

     Before the shorter man can reply, a small quiet groan of a child escapes the cell. The noise had come from a kid, maybe about twelve, who was laying in the back of the cell. The child was different than most. Two curved horns twisted from her white hair, and her skin was a light tint of blue. She looked rather innocent in her poison induced sleep, which would wear off by morning.

"....Rea.....where are you...." Despite these words the girl remained asleep. Her chest rose and fell with each breath. Something in both men told them that she wouldn't last a week here.

   "Good luck." Derek says, taking the cigar from the shorter man's mouth and using the bar of the cell to smother it. "You'll need it." He turns to leave. "And don't forget to pay for it tomorrow. It's only a few gold pieces since it looks like scrap meat." With that he leaves the stone room, his boots echoing with each step. 

    As soon as the doors close, quiet chatters starts up amongst those in the cells. It seemed like every creature in the room had been holding it's breath until Derek left.

     Deen's gaze drifted back down to the kid asleep before him. He would have a lot of work to do...but it would be worth it.


	2. Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning

        The girl's name was Raina. It wasn't given to her by nonexistent loving parents. It was acquired from her creation. She was not a human. She was an expirament. A product of Project Rain, given a cute pet name so that she could be trained to fetch tools for the scientists who made her. She was never supposed to be intelligent or understand how to speak let alone what words meant and what freedom was. But Raina was smart. Too smart. With white hair, two long curved horns, and solid white eyes, she was not a human at all. Within a week of her existence, with the body and mentality of a twelve year old girl, she was rebellious. When given an order she would refuse to follow it, deciding she could live without the reward of a cookie when obeying. The first time she refused they simple coaxed her into obeying. But Raina got more and more stubborn with each request. She began to stamp her foot and yell at them.  

     It was only a matter of time until Eric, the leader of Project Raina, had enough. Raina did not know what cruelty was until that day. She had no consequences of disobeying. She knew she was held back from leaving, but she didn't know her actions were controlled as well. Not until that day.

     Eric ignored Macy, his assitant, who begged him to stop hitting her. Eric was a man with an uncontrollable temper. He didn't stop until he couldn't find the strength to kick, or slam his belt into her shoulder again. Silent, he turned and sauntered to his room like a zombie, leaving Raina cowering in the corner, bruised and bloody and terrified. Her entire world view had been shattered. There was pain. People caused pain. People were cruel. Nothing was safe. No one could be trusted. 

    Macy was different. At first Raina would wince away from the assistant, when she tried to help. Eventually Raina managed to calm down enough to let Macy help her. Not because she trusted her, but because she was afraid Macy would hurt her if she didn't do as she asked. Raina believed if she acted like she was supposed to she would never be hurt again. 

   This wasn't the case.

    Seeing as Raina wasn't a human, Project Raina was trashed, and Project Rea began. It was a long hard year. As attempts to make a human failed, repeatedly, Eric became angrier and angrier. He stayed at the lab at night, where Raina lived, and Macy would go home.

    Eric would yell at Raina, or push her into chairs or knock her legs from under her on purpose. Nothing too obvious, if Macy saw any bruises, he could lose her as an employee. 

     The shoving was something Raina could stand up and brush off....it was the yelling....the words...that hurt the most.

    She tried to brush off his insults, and forget the times he cornered her and yelled until she was nothing but a trembling mess. But those were worse than the times he hurt her. She began to wish he would. Raina hoped a quick punch to the face would put her into a temporary sleep so she wouldn't have to hear his words. For one long year, Raina lived in terror. 

    When Project Rea was successful, the two scientists were overwhelmed with work to keep their one successful human alive. When Raina kept asking for Macy's company, Eric became angry once more. The scientist locked Raina in her room in an attempt to keep her from bothering them...

    However the two lost track of time in their work and monitering. It wasn't until Macy realized they had forgotten about Raina. The girl had been locked in her room for three days with nothing to eat or drink. For a creation like Raina, who by this time resembled a fourteen year old, it was a devestating blow to her, and she was found in an ill state in her room. Macy took some time off to help Raina get better, and after two days she was fairly recovered from the affair. 

     In that time, Rea awoke, and was put in a separate room to get a grasp of her surroundings, so that she wasn't frightened.

  Macy, who was exhausted by now told Eric she was going to take a few days off at home, to rest. Eric had no option of denial. His assitant had been busy taking care of Raina, and helping with Rea. So she left. 

     That night Eric became devestatingly drunk, leaving Rea's room unlocked, so that the curious Raina found it that way. Of course her mind got the better of her. And when she discovered the young black haired girl, with bright amber eyes and a face partially covered by a gas mask, she immediately wanted to protect her. 

   Despite Rea's lack of communication, she and Raina became very close to each other through that one meeting, just by staring, blinking wide eyed, and occasionally mimicking the other's movements....the meeting was cut short by Eric.

      Upon finding his mistake interacting with his only success, he was outraged. Without thinking, he grabbed Raina by a horn and dragged her from the room. He didn't realize Rea could hear Raina's muffled sobbing through what happened next. But she could. Rea could hear it all. And she developed an intense hatred for Eric, through that hour.

     Unfortunately for Eric, there was no hiding the bruises when Macy returned from her break. His assistant was outraged. Raina could only stand where she was and watch as Eric and Macy yelled. The fights got worse and worse throughout the days. Rea, who was allowed out of her room now, was afraid of both of them when they screamed. She seemed to view them as different people when they were angry. It didn't matter for Eric though....Rea still hated him. 

     A week passed and Raina was in the kitchen of the lab with Macy, who was cleaning dishes. 

    Raina was not prepared for any of what happened. She only stood there and watched in disbelief as Eric stormed in, raises his hand which was grasping the hand gun, and shot his assistant in the back of the head. Eric killed Macy in cold blood. And Raina had seen it happen, through her own shocked eyes.

     Eric turned the gun on Raina next, who was still staring in disbelief. He seemed to change his mind, because he threw the gun down and pulled off his belt. There was a moment of realization before he hit her across the face with it. Raina fell to the floor and immediately covered her head with her arms. She didn't scream for help. Macy was dead, no one could help her now. She laid there as Eric kicked her arms, and beat her around her head mercilessly, yelling at her to get up. Her body felt like it was breaking, the floor and wall she was pressed against seemed to disappear. She began to accept that this was how she died, even though she barely knew what death was. 

      A second burst of sound split the air. Eric stumbled off Raina, as crimson droplets spattered in the air, staining the floor as well as Raina, who was huddled in fear. A hole seemed to have appeared through his side. Eric fell to the floor, not dead, but not moving. Raina slowly lifted her head from her fetal position, to see her masked friend holding the gun Eric through down. Rea looked completely calm, having no concept of what she just did.

     All it took was Eric moving slightly for Raina to shift into run mode. She stumbled to her feet, her nose bleeding, cheek welted, and arms bruised. The girl shuffled to the door, grabbing Rea's arm as she passed, dragging her with her. Getting out of the lab was easy. Deciding where to go next was hard. 

The two decided to camp out in a cave at the edge of the realm. Raina heard rumors of a nearby realm that could be safe. After taking time to recover (and teach Rea the basics of speaking) She left for three days to search the place. Upon returning with good news, Raina was horrified to find bounty hunters from the arena, searching for new prey. 

      There was no fight. 

      Raina told them she would surrender if they left Rea.

      They took Raina.

      One strayed orders, and shot an arrow through Rea's stomach, and she crumpled like a piece of wet paper. 

       The last thing Raina saw before blacking out was her only friend, her sister, bleeding out on the cave floor.

 

 

 

And it would be a long three years before she ever saw her again.


	3. Part 2

"It's been hours and she hasn't moved from the back of her cell."

Upon finding herself in the confined space of the gladiator cell, Raina moved to the back corner. She stared ahead in silence for some time, her legs laid in front of her. Then as feeling returned to her toes she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged herself, trying to remember how she had ended up here. Hours had passed and she didn't move. The other gladiators were starting to get curious and speak to each other, unaware that she was in fact listening despite her shock. 

"Is she blind? She has no eyes.." a female voice asked.  
"She has eyes dumb ass, just no pupils. I doubt she can see." A gruff male voice replied.  
"She's been looking around her cell some. I think she can see." Another voice joined in.

She pressed her forehead against her knees, now just a ball. She felt like if she made herself small enough she'd disappear. Or wake up back in the cave with Rea. This was just a bad dream. It had to be. 

"Stop talking. Deen is coming."  
"This will be interesting."

Footsteps sounded on the stone floor, stopping in front of the cell Raina was in. She felt eyes watching her more intensely than the gladiators. She didn't want to look up. Yet she couldn't avoid it. She wanted to look into the eyes of the one holding her here. So she raised her head. Her pale blue eyes met cold beady black ones. 

Deen smiled at Raina. And not in a pleasant way. In a crooked, gambling, and threatening way. The man wasn't old but his face was scarred and he reeked of alcohol. His clothes were nicer than his face, his skin looked like worn leather. 

"Good morning sleeping beauty." His voice made Raina curl her lip. "How was your rest? I'm guessing that dart was a little too strong for someone as weak as you. Pity, I wanted to start training yesterday but you weren't awake yet. That's fine, we can start today. Anything you want to say before we begin?"

The gladiators were dead silent now. The quietest it had been since she woke up. She stated at Deen dead in the eyes before speaking. "Where is my sister?"

"That other girl? She took a spear through the stomach. She's dead. And so are you." 

Raina was silent then. Nothing else to say. All her questions were answered. 

The man pulled out a set of keys. After shuffling through them for a moment he found the one he was looking for and unlocked the cell, pushing the door open. 

"I won't use the stick today since you probably still have poison in your system. Not to mention you're nothing but bones. A snapped arm and it's pretty much over for you. You won't be able to fight, they'll just feed you to the griffins." He chuckled darkly. "On your feet. From this moment forward you're no longer human. Accept that much. You're an it. A thing. Property. My property. And you're going to fight every day until you die. Whether you die in the arena through glory, or slowly, by my hands, is up to you. Now get up."

Raina stared at him in fear. This man was going to be worse than Eric. Worse than the life she had fled. What cost Raina...she'd escaped one misery and ran right into a worse one at the cost of her sister's life. Without a word she stood. Her legs were numb but she managed to get to her feet, her vision going dark for a moment as the blood rushed to her head. Silently she walked out of the cell, past Deen. Her ears rang as the blood pounded in her head. Then, without a second more of hesitation, Raina took off running.

She beard a cry of alarm from Deen as she took off, and it hurt to use her legs after sitting for so long, but that didn't slow her. She ran down the rows of cells, feeling like cotton was in her ears, in the background the gladiators laughed and cheered or called her stupid. As she reached the end of the row of cells, she turned to find an exit, but instead ran into a heavy solid weight. The guard of the under arena grabbed Raina tightly by her hair making her scream in fear and pain. 

She swung her hands blindly to try and stun him into letting go, but before she could do that much another hand grabbed her horn and threw her heavily into the hard floor. The breath was driven from her lungs and she struggled to get back up, but the impact of Deen's boot driving into her ribs knocked her back flat. 

"You stupid bitch!" He howled, kicking her again, as she struggled to breathe, clutching her side in pain.  
"You don't get it do you!? I own you now!" Deen's boot slammed into her head next and she hit her chin on the floor, her teeth cutting her lip. Her vision blurred and she spat out blood, still moving to get up once again.

Oddly enough Raina didn't make a sound other than grunting with each kick.

As Deen delivered another kick to the head a shrill voice called out from a nearby cell. "She's just a kid! You're gonna kill her!"

Raina was hardly aware, her vision spinning, her head aching, feeling like her side was caving in from the blows. Her ear was bleeding from getting pinned beneath her horn and the ground.

"She needs to learn damn it!" He kicked Raina in the side with the heel of his boot a final time before stepping back. The kid just sat there, drawing in slow breaths. She hadn't cried out at all but Deen knew he'd gotten through. 

"Are to ready to begin training? Or do I need to beat you until you're dead right here?" 

Raina's only response was raspy breathing and empty blinks.

"Get her to her feet. I want to at least see if she can hold a sword. Time is valuable and all she's doing is wasting it." 

A hand grabbed Raina by her horn and shirt and pulled her to her feet, holding her up forcefully. When she was on her feet they let her go after giving her a shove towards the exit of the cell room. Raina stumbled but began to walk without a word, feeling the silently scanning eyes of sevreal astonished gladiators.


End file.
